Kosciuszko brumby numbers surge, prompting accusations of ‘shameful’ NSW mismanagement

Feral horses in Kosciuszko national park near Kiandra, NSW, last October. Brumby numbers have grown in two years from 14,380 to 18,814, according to surveys. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Environment advocates say the New South Wales government is failing to meet its promise to control feral horses in the Kosciuszko national park after numbers increased by more than 4,000 in the past two years.

Based on surveys conducted in November, the government estimates numbers have grown to 18,814, up from 14,380 in 2020.